Adjustable book support



July 7, 1936. E NEWMEYERJJR 2,046,573

ADJUSTABLE BOOK SUPPORT Filed July 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m 1Z WITNESSEJ 1N VENTOR.

J4 BY m wmwfam July 7, 1936.

E. NEWMEYER, JR

ADJUSTABLE BOOK SUPPORT Filed July 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented July 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE BOOK SUPPORT Edward Newmeyer, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. Application July '29, 1935, Serial No. 33,687

9 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable booksupports, and more particularly to supports attached to the book itself.

, In order to adjust or change the adjustment of book supports of this type known heretofore so 'as' to position a book at the desired angle to the horizontal, it has been necessary to turn the book around or to reach around it, because the adjustment could be made from the back of the book only. With largebooks, such as ledgers,

' it causes a considerable amount'of trouble to do this, and as a result adjustable supports have not been favored, although there is a real need for aipractical one. Furthermore, these book supports have been formed as a part of theback of the book, and consequently have not been suitable for use with loose-leaf ledgers and the like which do not have a back and in which the thickness of the book is varied from time to timeas the number of sheets between the separate covers varied. I v

It'is among the objects of this invention to provide an adjustable book support of the type referred to'ab'ove which is adjustable from in front of the book which is adapted for use with a book of'varying thickness, which can be made either as a permanent part of a book or as a detachable attachment therefor, and which is adapted to support a book at substantially any inclination to the horizontal. V

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a loose-leaf book supported by my adjustable support; Fig. 2 arear view of the book with the Supporting'arrn in inoperative position; Fig. 3 an enlarged view, partly broken away, taken on the line'IIIIII of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a perspective view of a detachable book support; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 side views'partly broken away, of modified embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the first three figures of the drawings, the invention isshown used in conjunction with a loose-leaf book having two separate-covers "l and" 2 and no back, such as a ledger. Back cover I is hinged at its rear edge in any suitable manner to a narrow binding member "3 from the innerfface of which extend detachable binding posts 4,011 which the perforated loose sheets 6 are mounted. 'Front cover 2 is likewise hinged to'a jbinding member 1, of the same general outward appearance as binder 3, provided with holes 8 through'which posts 4 slidably extend. The posts arenormally locked in these holes by any wellknown means,'not shown; a Binder '3 is formed of a tubular member 9 provided in its rear side with l2 and closed at its ends by detachable metal caps H, whereby a housing is formed. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a supporting arm l3 extends longitudinally of the tubular housing directly inside of an elongate opening opening !2, and is pivoted at its lower end in the lower end of the housing. This arm is adapted to be swung backwardly in a vertical plane until its free end engages the surface on which the book is resting, a rubber tip l4 preventing the end of the arm from marring the surface.

To hold arm l3 behind the book at selective angles to the housing so as to permit the open book to be supported by the arm at any desired angle to the horizontal (Fig. 1), the pivoted end of the arm is enlarged to form a segmental porand upper cap ll of tube 9 and a collar 24 rigidly mounted on rod l9 Although spring 22 might be made strong enough to so firmly hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teeth that the arm could not accidentaly swing out of the housing, it is preferred to positively lock the arm in the housing 'when the support is not in use by providing the free or upper end of the arm with a clip 26 which is engaged by a spring-biased latch 21 pivotally mounted in tube 9. Rod l9 extends through a slot in one end of the latch and is provided with a second collar 28 that depresses the latch to disengage it from the clip at the same time that the prod disengages the pawl from the ratchet, where- 'by the arm is free to swing backwardly out of the housing whenever button 2| is depressed.

The adjustable support described above may be used by standing up the book at the angle desired and then depressing button 2| to disengage latch 21 from clip 26, and pawl H? from the ratchet. Supporting arm I3 is thus permitted to swing back until its rubber tip strikes the surface on which the book is resting. Button 2| is then released and the pawl again engages one of the ratchet teeth, whereby the supporting arm is locked at thedesired angle to the housing and the-book is prevented from falling over'backwards. Another convenient manner of utilizing this adjustable support is to lay the-book on a and the far edge of the book is raised until the book is at the desired angle to the horizontal. During this raising of the book the released supporting arm remains on the supporting surface.

When the book has been pulled up to the desired angle the pawl is permitted to engage a ratchet tooth for locking the arm in that position relative to the housing. The inclination of the book can be changed at any time by merely depressing but- 7 arm in predetermined ton 2| to unlock arm l3, and then swinging the.

book up or down to the desired position.

An adjustablebook support constructed in accordance with this invention is quickly operated from in front of the book, whereby it is unnec essary to reach around in back of the book or to turn the book around every time an adjustment is to be made. By mounting the support in one of the binders of a loose-leaf book it does not prevent the thickness of the book from being varied by the insertion or removal of loose-leaf sheets. Furthermore, the book can be supported at substantially any angle to the horizontal, there by. permitting the most'suitable inclinationto be obtained.

, In Fig.4 an adjustable book support is shown which is not built into a loose-leaf binder, but is a separate unit adapted to be detachably secured to conventional loose-leaf binders. The operating mechanism, however, of this modification is the same as that described above. Attached to one'side of housing 3| along its rear edgeis a sheet metal flange 32 that is L-shape in cross section, whereby a recess 33 is provided between it and the adjacent side of the housing. This recess is of a width suited to receive a loose-leaf binder of standard thickness so that the housing can be mounted on the outer side of the binder. The housing and flange are provided with-holes 34 through which the binder posts project and lock the unit on the binder. Small variations in thickness of different binders is taken care of by the resiliency of flange 32. This detachable support can be applied to a book or ledger in frequent use, and removed therefrom when the book is filed away with the expectation that it will not be used much in the future.

.In the remaining three figures of the drawings three different ways of locking the supporting positions are illustrated. Any of these. mechanisms can be built into a binder as in Fig. 2, or can be made into a detachable unit like that of Fig. 4.

InFig. 5 the button-engaging spring is omitted, and a coil spring 36 is substituted therefor. This spring encircles rod l9 below latch 21 where it is compressed between a collar 31 rigidly mounted on the rod, and a bifurcated lug 38 struck out of the side of the housing and bent inwardly at right angles thereo. I

The rod and latch are omitted in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, and the support is adjusted from the bottom of the housing instead of the top. Ratchetteeth H on the lower end of the supporting arm are engaged by a vertically disposed pawl 4| pivoted in the housing and biased toward the teeth by a U-shape spring 42 compressed between the pawl and housing. The lower end of the pawl .projectsthrough an opening 43 in the bottom of the housing where it forms a finger piece 44 for moving the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. r The lower end of thesupporting arm in Fig. 'l is provided with gear teeth 46 that mesh with a whereby to support thebook at a desiredangl worm gear 41 formed on the lower end of a shaft 48. The shaft extends longitudinally of the housing with its ends journaled in lugs 49 struck out of the side of the-housing. The upper end of the shaft does not project out of the housing, 5 7

but is provided with a squared portion'5l for receiving a key (not shown) that can be inserted through an opening 52 in the top of the hou'sing. The supporting arm is lowered or raised by turning shaft 48. i w j 7 'According'to' the privisions' of the" patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention, and have illustrated and describedwhat I now consider to be its best However, I desire to have It un- 5 embodiments. derstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In combination with a book, a housing con- 0 nected to the rear portion thereof, an arm pivoted at one end in said housing for swinging ina substantially. vertical plane behind I the book, and

means operable from the front of the book for holding'said arm at selective angles to the housing 25 whereby to support thebook at a desired angle tothe horizontal. I 2. In combination, with a book, a housing connected to the'rear portion thereof, anarmpivoted at one end in said housing for swinging in a 36 substantially .vertical planebehind the book, and pawl and ratchet means for-holding said armat selective angles to the housing whereby to sup port the book at a desired angle to the horizontal.

3. In combination with a book, a housing connected to. the rear portion thereof, .an arm pivotedat oneend in the lower endof said housing for swinging in a substantially vertical plane behind the book,the pivoted end of said armbeing provided with a'curved portion having notches in its periphery, a. pawl mounted in said housing and. normally engaging saidarm in. said notches, and means for: releasing said pawl from the notches to permit said arm to be positioned'at oted at one end in the lower end of said housing for swinging in a substantially vertical plane behind the book, the pivoted end ofsaid arm being provided with a curved portionQhaving notches in its periphery, a pawl mounted in said housing and normally engaging said arm in said notches, and means projecting fromtheupper end of the housingfor releasing said. pawl from the notches to permit said arm tobe positioned at selective predetermined angles to the housing to the horizontal. I 5. In combination with a book, a housing connected to the rear portion thereof, an arm pivoted at one end in the lower end of said. housing; for swinging in a substantially verticalplane behind the book, the pivoted endof saidarm being provided with a curved portion having notches in its periphery, .a pawl mounted insaid housing and normallyengaging said arm mend notches, and means projecting from thelower end of the housingfor releasing said pawl from the notches to permit said arm to be positioned at selective predeterminedangle's to the housing whereby tosuppgr't the bookv at a desired angle; to the horizontal.

6. In combination with a book, a housing connected to the rear portion thereof, an arm pivoted at one end in the lower end of said housing for swinging in a substantially vertical plane behind the book, the pivoted end of said arm having a curved portion provided at its periphery with a plurality of gear teeth, a worm gear journaled in said housing and meshing with said teeth, and means projecting from the upper end of the housing for turning the worm gear to permit said arm to be moved to selected angles to the housing whereby to support the book at a desired angle to the horizontal.

7. In combination with a book, a housing connected to the rear of one only of the covers of the book, an arm pivoted at one end in the lower end of said housing for swinging in a substantially vertical plane behind the book, the opposite end of the am being free, means operable from the front of the book for holding said arm at. selective angles to the housing whereby to support the book at a desired angle to the horizontal,-and means for locking said free end of the arm in the housing.

8. In combination with a book, a housing connected to the rear of one only of the covers of the book, an arm pivoted at one end in the lower end of said housing for swinging in a substantially vertical plane behind the book, the opposite end of the arm being free, means operable from the front of the book for holding said arm at selective angles to the housing whereby to support the book at a desired angle to the horizontal, and means for locking said free end of the arm in the housing, actuation of said first-mentioned means serving to unlock said free end of the arm.

9. A book support comprising a housing adapted to be attached to the rear of a book cover, an arm pivoted at one end in the lower end of said housing for swinging in a substantially vertical plane behind the book, and means engaging the pivoted end of the arm and operable from one end of the housing for holding said arm at se- 20 lective angles to the housing whereby to support the book at a desired angle to the horizontal.

EDWARD NEWMEYER, JR. 

